Coping and Fighting
by BigReader16
Summary: Satoru Brave has been alone for two years, his parents not caring about him, his older brother having gone missing. What happens when he recieves a blue card, though? Join him and the tamers as they not only try to save the human and digital worlds, but also as Satoru tries to find his missing brother. R&R! I hope you all like it.
1. Chapter 1

Me: Hey everyone to my fourth story! This is based on the tamers season, of course, but with three new tamers, besides those you know and love. And there happens to be a family crisis for two of them. I mean- never mind. You'll find out later in this prologue the whole crisis. I will have a special ask-the-characters chapter later, so pm me those questions or put them in the reviews!

Rika: The big doofus-

Me: Hey!

Rika: -doesn't own digimon.

Me: You're lucky that I need you for this story.

Loss of a Brother

Katsu looked my way and grinned as he adjusted the lightweight jacket he was wearing. "Satoru, you going to be okay today? Will you be able to handle those bullies?"

I stayed silent, just allowing my black hair to shadow my eyes as I watched my brother, a twenty-one year old version of myself. He sighed and dug into his pants pocket.

"I was going to give this to you as a birthday present," he said, pulling out a card. It was a digimon trading card, and a rare one at that. "Here, take it. And if you get picked on, believe you're the digimon on that card and stand up to them." He handed the card to me, and I took it with a pale hand. One look at the image had me grinning.

"Thank you, Katsu," I said finally, tackling him in a hug.

"No problem." The two of us laughed until our mother entered the room.

"Satoru," she said, "get off of your brother. He's going to miss his bus. You are as well, actually."

I groaned and let go unwillingly. I got myself ready to head out as Katsu opened the door to leave. "Have a nice day, mother," he said, hugging her. "I'll see you later, brother. Good bye." Katsu walked out the door, leaving me. I sighed and followed his example, hugging my mother and shutting the door as I left. I started walking down to my bus stop by the local bakery, not knowing what terrifying news would be waiting for me once I returned home.

School passed as it usually did for a fourteen year old half Japanese, half Caucasian freshman. I did school work, got bullied, locked in a locker, let out after a few minutes, and went home. I couldn't help but try to hide my face as I walked home from the bus stop, eggs spattered on my shirt and in my hair, sticking like hair gel and smelling rotten.

When my house came in view, I stopped. A police car was outside, as was a crowd. A bad feeling washed over me and I ran, pushing through the crowd and to the front door.

Weeping rang through the house as I went in. On the couch in the living room, my mother and father were crying across from a police officer, who sat on a stool, dragged in from the island in the kitchen, most likely. "Mom? Dad?"

My parents turned, and I knew this had to do with Katsu, the son who had made them proud on many different occasions, as they were far more depressed than I thought. "Are you Satoru," the officer asked, catching my attention.

"That's me. What's wrong?"

The officer sighed and motioned to the empty recliner my father usually sat in. "This is something you may wish to sit down for," he said, looking me dead in the eye.

I averted my gaze quickly and sat. "Does it have anything to do with Katsu," I asked, pulling out the card my brother had given to me, playing with it.

"Yes, it does. Your brother was popular, correct? Had no enemies that you knew of?"

"What's going on?"

"Katsu Brave has gone missing." The plain explanation shook my very core, and I could feel a crack form in my soul. "On his way to the university, a strange fog appeared, surrounding him as well as several other pedestrians. The fog was gone as quickly as it came, but for some reason, only your brother disappeared."

"Y-You're wrong," I muttered. "H-He'll be home any minute now, I know it."

"Satoru, he's gone," my father said. My mother began to sob harder as more tears ran down her face. "Katsu isn't co- coming home," he said, his voice cracking as my mother broke down. I stopped trying to fool myself and ran out as tears filled my eyes. I ran straight outside, and through the crowd, not stopping.

I ran for what felt like an eternity until I just collapsed to my knees and cried. I was alone in life, as my parents had always preferred Katsu, just as I was alone in the park, by the stream in the very spot where Katsu and I had once hung out and talked.

I was alone, and that was final.

Me: I really got emotional and almost cried myself as I wrote this chapter. It's just so sad!

Rika: Give me a break.

Me: You're cold and heartless, you know that?

Rika: And you're a wimp and a cry baby.

Takato: This isn't going to end well. Well, next time, on Digimon! Find out what the mysterious gift is, and the secret it holds! Will Satoru really be alone forever, or will he finally find someone who can help with the pain of losing his brother? Alone No Longer, coming soon!


	2. Chapter 2

Me: This is Coping and Fighting, chapter 2. BigReader16 here. I hope you liked the prologue chapter, 'cause now we are kicking it in high gear!

Rika: Four-eyes-

Me: Will you stop insulting me!?

Rika: - doesn't own digimon or the main plot, only his OCs and the side plot.

Takato: Everyone, please hope and pray that Reader and Rika don't murder each other. R&R!

Alone No Longer

October 1, 20**

I was outside, walking towards the park as I usually did when I had free time. Thunder rumbled in the distance as rain pelted me, soaking me to the bone. Wind blew at my clothes, pinning them to my skin as I shook my head to get some rain water out of my now short hair.

A lot had changed in the two years since Katsu disappeared in that fog. I had grown accustomed to wearing nothing but black, usually a t-shirt and cargo pants. I was no longer picked on at school, but mainly because everyone was afraid of me now. I had grown thinner, if that was possible, and more pale, so I looked like the walking dead with my sunken eyes and the dark spots under them. Even the bullies, who had all been larger than me, were frightened, as I had grown silent, lonesome, secluded, and even violent.

The day after my brother (who would be twenty-three now) went missing, some bullies had tried to mess with me. When one of them had tried to push me, though, I grabbed his arm and snapped it. It had cracked into at least five pieces, and that frightened the entire school. Even the teachers feared me, but I didn't care.

Once or twice, I had grown so cold hearted and lonesome, I had tried to hang myself. Both times, however, someone stopped me. Today, with the rain, the thunder, and the cold wind, I felt better than I usually did. But not by much.

As soon as I entered the park, some people walking by gave me strange looks, as I was a sixteen-year-old junior in high school, out in the awful weather without so much as a jacket or an umbrella. I ignored them, though, as I always did. I was on my way to the one spot where I could be alone and just be calm, where I could look through the deck of digimon trading cards, which was currently in my pocket with a card reader, or do work, or even just sleep without waking up, more depressed than before I had went to sleep; the place where, exactly two years before, I had collapsed out of sorrow, where I had left the old me. It was the only place that reminded me of Katsu that didn't bring up bad memories.

I reached the spot and sat under the willow tree that stood there, grabbing out the contents of my pocket. I scanned each card, to make sure my deck was to perfection, which I already knew it was. I took my time, yet I always made it to the last card rather quickly.

It was the card from Katsu, my one possession I held dearly. A black wargreymon card, around which my deck was made. I always made sure to take a long time with it. Sometimes, I would take a good five minutes with the one card.

Before I could do anything with it, I found myself on the verge of tears. I sighed and looked up to the sky, which was obscured by dark clouds and the swaying leaves of the tree. "Katsu, where did you go," I said quietly, always expecting an answer I knew I would never receive. "I wish I could find someone who was like you." That was a wish I made every night, every day, every second of my life that was never granted. But somehow, my wish finally came true somehow, or at least, the wish began to come true, though I didn't exactly know it.

A flash of lightning cracked the air, and I blinked, holding back my pent up emotions. Out the corner of my eye, something began to glow blue. I turned to see that one of my cards had landed in the mud. I went to grab it, but as I touched it, the card became all blue, with a symbol in the center. I turned the card, studying it, and decided to check the stats. I passed it through the scanner, and the card sparked with electricity, causing me to cry out in pain and drop the reader. I blinked a few times, and the reader changed shape.

It was strange, with three buttons, a screen, and a black ring around the screen. I picked it up, curious of what it was. I looked down and saw the card had returned to normal, so I put it back with the others. "I might as well finish what I was doing," I said as the rain began to come down harder so it was impossible to see three feet away.

I slashed the black wargreymon card through the slot on the side, and a fog surrounded me. "What on earth? There can't be fog right now," I said as a dark shape materialized on the other side of a sheet of the fog. "Who's there?"

"Why should I tell you," the figure snarled with a voice filled with venom, deeper than any man's voice I'd ever heard.

"Because I'm telling you to identify yourself. Or do I have to hurt you?"

The figure burst into an evil laughter at my statement. "You? Hurt me? I don't think that is even possible." For some reason, the voice reminded me of the second season of the digimon anime, and every nerve in my body was screaming for me to run, yet all I did was stand, scowling.

"You don't know what I'm capable," I said. "Come through that fog and show yourself, or are you too big of a coward to come out of hiding?"

"You asked for it, human," the figure snarled, stepping through. I tried to think that my eyes were deceiving me, yet I knew that they weren't somehow. The figure was a dragon that had the posture and height of a full grown man, wearing black and gray armor that left parts of its body exposed, revealing the massive muscles. A helmet covered most of its head, leaving only the lower jaw and the beast-like yellow eyes exposed. Spiked, matted blonde hair rose out of the back of the helmet. The black wargreymon raised an arm, pointing the claws on the gauntlet at my throat. "You shouldn't play with viruses."

"Who said anything about playing?" I grabbed some mud from the ground and threw it in the digimon's face, taking the chance to run behind a few trees in its moment of blindness.

"Where are you, boy? I may not be able to see you, but I can still smell you. So come out, and I might just kill you quickly and painlessly."

"You never show any mercy," I growled. "Why should I believe you?" The tree I was behind was slashed to pieces, sending splinters everywhere as the dragon-man snarled at me.

"You're right. So I'll just get this over with." He raised his clawed arm, ready to strike, but something caught my gaze. It was a massive, sharp piece of the shattered tree. I jumped out of the way and grabbed the shard as Black Wargreymon swung, missing me by the width of a hair.

"Don't make me use this," I said, pointing the shard at the digimon, who only laughed evilly again.

"You must be joking. That won't be of any use."

"I warned you." I ran forward and went down, sliding in the mud between his legs and stood up. Before he could even turn, I was bringing down the sharp end onto the exposed back of his neck.

The device that had once been my card reader, which I had dropped a little bit away, lit up as the spike touched the exposed skin. A powerful shockwave was released from the point of contact, and I was sent sliding in the mud on my back as the digimon was sent crashing into the mud in the other direction on his stomach. The device stopped glowing, and I struggled to stand as the mud weighed me down, coating every part of my body. The dragon-man also struggled to stand as mud dripped from his face and his entire front half.

"What did you do, boy," Black Wargreymon growled, raising his claws.

"I did nothing. I just tried to protect myself."

"Well, that was certainly a success," he said sarcastically, a slight frown visible under his helmet.

"Listen, I don't care who you are, or what you are, or even where you're from," I said. "Just stay away from me, and I won't try stabbing you in the neck."

"Oh, right, cause that worked out just a few seconds ago for you. I told you, you can't hurt me. The most it will do is scratch my scales or my armor." I scowled and grabbed the device from its spot, as well as all of the cards, brushing the mud off of them. I began to walk off, and I could hear Black Wargreymon stomping off in the opposite direction.

Me: And there it is. That doesn't seem like much of a start for a partnership, though.

Rika: How do you know they're even meant to be partners? Never mind, don' answer that.

Jeri: That reminds me a little of how Leomon and I started off.

Takato: Oh no, here come the tears. What stopped Satoru from hurting Black Wargreymon? How does Black Wargreymon fit in with Satoru's wish? Are the two of them partners, or will they always be enemies, and will they ever meet again? Next time, Hopes Crash Down and Dreams Fly High!


	3. Chapter 3

Me: This is BigReader16 with the next C&F chapter! I hope you like it!

Rika: Fatty-

Me: I am not fat! I'm underweight!

Rika: -does not own anything except the side plot and his OCs.

Takato: R&R!

Hopes Crash Down and Dreams Fly High

October 2, 20**

It was a Saturday, so I was walking down to the Madzuki bakery down the street, doing my usual errands. I had recently gotten a job helping there, though I was always with Takato, a boy from my class who was less afraid of me than others, in the back, helping make the bread.

I walked in the back door to see Takato and his father working on a new batch. "Good morning Satoru," Takato said, almost dropping his bowl of bread mix.

"What's so good about it," I said plainly, throwing on a white apron and washing my hands, ready to start work.

"Well, nothing yet," Takato said, shivering a little when I looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "I was just trying to talk with you." He went back to what he was doing, and I snickered inwardly. Every time I saw him, I could still see the scared kid that had stopped me from hanging myself, not once, but twice. Takato had been the only thing that had kept me going.

"Well, how about we just get the bread done? There are probably some desperate customers out there, waiting." Takato laughed, almost dropping his bowl again.

"Are you two going to be able to handle things back here for a bit," Takato's father asked. "I need to go to the store and get some more ingredients." Takato and I both knew what he meant, as the store always ran out of milk and eggs really fast.

"Of course, Mr. Madzuki. We'll be good here." My employer nodded and went out, grabbing a wad of cash from the jar of bread money.

Takato and I worked quickly and efficiently, as we had actually learned to work in synch really fast. In about a quarter of the time it had taken us to make a single batch on my first day, we got a good five batches worth of bread mix in the oven to cook.

I sat in a chair against the wall, as I usually did when we had free time. I pulled out the device that I had gotten the day before and looked it over, studying it fully.

"Hey, what's that," Takato asked, looking over from the oven. He nearly had a heart attack when he saw what I had.

"I don't know. It just appeared. It used to be my card reader." I pushed a few buttons, playing with the device.

"Satoru, you do still play digimon, right?" I looked at the smaller boy with a questioning look, and he reached into his own pocket, pulling out a similar device with a red ring. "Do you?"

"Yeah. What has the card game got to do with this thing?"

"It's a digivice, Satoru." I raised an eyebrow and thought that he was crazy for a moment, and then I remembered that I had fought with Black Wargreymon, so I decided to listen. "This makes you a tamer. And we're not the only ones."

"So, there are tamers? How many, exactly?"

"Right now, four, because of you." He shivered, from fear of me or from the cold, I didn't know. "So, who's your partner?"

I made a weird face out of embarrassment. "I actually don't have one. But, who do you have?"

Takato grabbed something else from his pocket and handed it to me. It was a paper with a drawing of a red dinosaur digimon. A name on the top read Guilmon. I studied the paper with interest, as it was a new digimon.

"Guilmon is a bit of a baby still, but he's a good friend," Takato said, sitting on the floor in front of me. A thought came to mind, and I decided to ask Takato.

"Did you slash this through the digivice to get Guilmon as your partner?"

"I sure did. I thought I had broken it, but then I got a digiegg. Guilmon hatched the next day, and, well, I ended up missing school." He laughed, rubbing the back of his head, and I knew exactly what day he was talking about. It had actually been a couple of weeks before that Takato had missed school for the very first time.

"I remember that. And, I guess I do have a partner," I said. I told Takato all about everything that had happened the day before, and he gawked at me the entire time. When I told him about the fight, he looked ready to pass out. "And that's the whole thing."

Takato immediately got up and grabbed the phone off the wall and called a couple of people. Both conversations were quick and to the point. He hung up and turned to me. "After we're done here, we're going to the park. The others will meet us there."

"And what exactly will we be doing? If you plan on taking Black Wargreymon, it won't be so easy. He's fast, and he's long gone by now."

"We still can't take that chance."

"Take what chance?" Mr. Madzuki walked in, carrying several bags of just milk and eggs.

"To miss a soccer game," I lied quickly. "It's the last game before the finals for the school soccer league."

Takato's father looked at us both for a bit, trying to see if we had lied, but we must have hid it pretty well, as he shrugged. "Well, hurry up. I can finish up here. You two deserve the rest of the day off, with as hard as you worked."

I bowed in gratitude, removing the apron and walking out, followed by Takato. "Come on, I'll lead the way." Takato started running, and I kept pace with him easily, making sure no one gave us weird looks.

Luckily, no one thought of us running through the streets was suspicious, and we made it to a concrete structure in the park a good ten minutes later. Two other high school students, a red headed girl and a blue haired boy, were waiting in the structure with three digimon. Guilmon was the first I recognized, followed by the yellow fox, Renamon, and the rabbit, Terriermon.

"Who's the new guy," Terriermon asked, doing a hand stand with his ears.

"I was wondering the same," the girl said.

"Rika, Henry, this is Satoru. He's from my class," Takato explained as Guilmon began to sniff at me. The dinosaur digimon made a noise between a purr and a happy growl, nuzzling my hand.

I couldn't help but smile. I scratched the digimon's head, right behind one of the wing-like ears as I smiled for the first time since my brother went missing.

"So, that's the plan," Takato said, catching my attention. "We should start right away. Other wise, who knows what a mega could do to the city."

"Yeah, it's a good plan, but one question. How are we supposed to beat him if he doesn't like coming quietly," Rika said. Takato sweat dropped at the question, having not thought that far, obviously.

"I'll just fight him," I said. "I fought him yesterday, so I can easily do it again." Henry and Rika looked at each other in confusion, but agreed.

"So that's settled. I just hope that it doesn't come to that," Henry said. "It would be a nightmare if it did."

_It really would,_ I thought. _Why did I have to make some stupid wish that caused this?_ I sighed and turned, ready to head out.

"Okay, everyone, we know what to do. Just, no one do anything crazy," Takato said.

"I wouldn't dream of it," I said, although I already was.

Me: And that's chapter 3. I hope you liked it. Sorry if there was too much dialogue.

Rika: Really? That's how I come into this? I am so going to kill you, Reader.

Takato: Next time! Will Takato's plan work? Will Black Wargreymon actually return? And can Satoru finally shake the shadow of depression that hangs over him, with the help of the other tamers and their digimon partners? So Close to Death, yet So Far from Success, coming soon!


	4. Chapter 4

Me: BigReader16 here, with the next chapter of Coping and Fighting! A special will be coming soon for you viewers, so send dares and questions for the characters in PMs or reviews!

Rika: The nerd-

Me: I am not even going to say something about that.

Rika: -doesn't own digimon or the main plot. Only the side plot and the OCs.

Takato: R&R!

So Close to Death, yet So Far from Success

I looked over the park from the top of the highest tree I could actually climb. I couldn't see anything that meant that Black Wargreymon was around. A small flock of birds moved from one tree to the next as the original tree quivered. It was slight, but I saw it from even a distance.

I climbed down quickly to where the other tamers and the digimon were waiting. "He's still close by. I saw a whole tree shake. And no, it wasn't a thin one that anyone could shake, but a thick one, Rika." Rika nodded, shutting her mouth. "Come on, I know where he is exactly."

I began to maneuver through the trees, which grew thick and close together in that part of the park, with ease, leaving the others behind. I walked quickly, not wanting to run and attract attention from anyone who was around.

The sound of a tree crashing down echoed from the distance and I followed the sound, knowing what it meant. A small roar came from behind me, and Guilmon ran past me, Takato clinging for dear life. Henry, with Terriermon on his head, and Rika, Renamon just behind her, also ran past, and I grumbled something as I picked up my pace.

"Pyro sphere!" The shout was followed by the sound of a small explosion.

"Why are there so many pests here," the deep, venom filled voice of Black Wargreymon snarled ahead of me. "I should just destroy all of you."

I clenched my fists as I stayed out of sight, running through the shrubbery so I could attack from behind the dragon-man. I was so close to him when I stopped, I could hear his breathing, which was more of an exhausted pant. I stepped out of hiding and picked up something sharp, ready to strike.

The digimon seemed to know I was there, and turned quickly, slashing the stone I had grabbed from my hand, rage flooding his beastly eyes. "You again. We had a deal to stay away from each other." He glared at me, and I glared back with twice the force.

"We didn't make a deal. I just told you to stay away from me. This doesn't count, as I came here." He growled and raised a claw. I didn't even flinch, and a spark of evil amusement flashed in his eye.

"So, you won't back down from a fight? Maybe I should teach you a lesson in why you don't go around and get into as many fights as possible."

I moved quickly, sweeping my foot around so I tripped him and grabbed something at random. It was a piece of a broken glass bottle, and I held the shard to his throat. The digimon only laughed with pure mockery, grabbing my arm and flipping us, so he was on top of me, pinning my arms and holding one of his claws to the point of my chest where my heart was.

"Any last words, boy," he said, an evil grin spreading under his helmet. I opened my mouth to say something when I saw Katsu in place of the brute of a digimon.

I completely dropped my guard, seeing the similarity. Katsu was replaced by the dragon-man quickly though, and I felt as though I'd lost him a second time. Black Wargreymon sneered at me, and pulled back his arm, ready to strike.

"Terrier tornado!" A small green twister hit the black digimon in the side of his head, shifting his attention from me to the others. "Try messing with me," Terriermon said, almost immediately regretting it.

The virus digimon moved with great speed, causing the rabbit rookie to crash into a tree. He back handed Guilmon, who had moved in to attack, causing the dinosaur to skid along the ground, unconscious.

"Diamond storm!" Renamon unleashed the attack, but only managed to enrage the mega. Black Wargreymon, with little effort, began to pound her to a pulp, using his own weight to crush her into the spot.

I couldn't stand to see him beating up on those weaker than him. It reminded me too much of how I had been bullied. I stood, a little weak, and jumped onto his back, trying to get him to stop.

"He's crazy," Henry said.

"That's Satoru for you," Takato said, nervously trying to stay hidden.

"I'll say," Rika agreed, nodding a little as I was thrown off.

"I've had enough of you, boy," Black Wargreymon snarled. "I'll make this as painful as possible." He stomped on my stomach with his massive foot, and I nearly vomited from the pressure. "You are too much of a pest. I really should have done this before." He began to twist his foot, and it took all my will power to not cry out in pain and show weakness.

"I will absolutely love to see you dead, here and now. So, I'll make this real." He raised a claw to my throat, holding the other over my chest. "Say good bye."

"No," I managed to say, only to grunt in pain as he put more weight onto my gut.

"I didn't quite get that. Don't worry, this will hurt." He struck, but Renamon, who was somehow still conscious, sent another diamond storm, distracting him. He got off me completely, and I gasped for breath from the loss of pressure. "So, the fox wants another round. Very well."

He lunged, ramming her and knocking her out. He laughed like a maniac, and didn't notice as Takato began to pull me into the bushes. "Satoru, are you really that suicidal still," he asked as I managed to sit up.

"I'm just trying to," I stopped as I coughed up a little blood. I wiped it quickly before continuing. "I'm just trying to keep people safe." I looked out through the bushes to see the mega looking around, angered that I had gotten away for the moment.

"Where are you," he snarled, slashing at a tree. "I will find you, boy, and trust me when I say that you will die." He continued to search, growing closer at an excruciatingly slow rate.

I looked to the others, who shook their heads, mouthing their requests that I don't go. "I have to," I said. "I won't let you three get hurt." I stood and stepped out of hiding, grabbing a stone as I did.

"So, you will fight." The virus smirked, raising a claw. "I'll enjoy cutting you open."

"I can't let that happen." He swung at me, and I barely sidestepped it as the claw sliced the side of my shirt.

"Too slow. I guess you'll be easier to kill than I thought." He tackled me and the stone in my hand, the only defense I had, went flying as I skidded on my back. Black Wargreymon glared at me maliciously, beginning to walk forward.

I tried to sit up, but he kicked me in the chest, forcing me back down. He knelt be my side, and put a claw directly over my throat. I didn't try to move, knowing that if I did, I'd be killed. He grinned, blood lust in his eyes as he saw that I was not struggling. I was at his mercy.

Me: Oh boy, cliff hanger!

Rika: And it was just getting good! You're a real d-

Me: Hey, don't use that language! Or else I'll have to raise the rating.

Takato: What is about to happen? Will Black Wargreymon go for the kill, or let Satoru live? Exactly how are Katsu and a virus mega alike, and what does this similarity mean? Coming soon, Dangerous Ties!


	5. Chapter 5

Me: Coping and Fighting, Chapter Five, people! This story is more popular than I thought it would be. I'm amazed. And to make things better, Rika isn't doing the disclaimer anymore!*points to Rika, tied up and gagged, in a corner*

Takato: So, I'll be doing the disclaimer now! Reader, my temporary employer, does not own digimon. Only the side plot and his OCs.

Guilmon: Takatomon, what does this mean?

Takato: Oh, Guilmon! Just read it as it is.

Guilmon: Okay, Takatomon! R&R! Does that have to do with bread?

Me and Takato: Guilmon!

Dangerous Ties

I laid there, waiting for the claw to open my neck. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't do anything as I watched the metal claw.

"Good bye, boy," Black Wargreymon said. He pressed the claw down onto my throat, so the cold metal was biting my skin. Something glinted in the sky above us, and I saw the stone that had gone flying come crashing down. It landed too close to my gut for comfort, and I flinched when I felt pain in my lower left abdomen. Flinching wasn't much help, though, as the claw pressed harder, drawing blood.

_Is this really how it ends? At the hands of the digimon that was on the card?_ I waited for the claw to move to the side, but it stayed in the same spot, unmoving. It frightened me how still and quiet everything had become.

I looked into the mega's eyes, hoping for a hint of remorse to show. There was only blood lust and rage. I closed my own eyes, knowing I couldn't do anything.

A memory played in my mind of Katsu and me from a few years before. He had been sixteen, and I had been nine. We had been horsing around, wrestling when Katsu won, ending in a position similar to how Black Wargreymon was in. He laughed, though, instead of threatening to cut my neck.

The memory filled me with sorrow, and I began to think of what people would think when they found me. The pain in my abdomen increased as I lay there, thinking.

_I doubt very many people will miss me_, I thought, the pain constantly increasing. The claw lifted from my throat, and I opened my eyes, wondering what had happened. I really shouldn't have looked.

There was blood, and large amounts of it. Black Wargreymon was actually scared of the blood, backing away. The other tamers were standing over me, freaking out over something. I couldn't hear what they were saying, though, as my ears had started to ring.

I lifted my head, and I found the reason for the blood and the worry. The stone had pierced my skin, just to the left of my stomach, right where the pain was. My vision faded out slowly as my head fell back on the ground, and I lost consciousness, not knowing if I was dying.

I slowly opened my eyes, seeing nothing but white. I felt no pain, but I couldn't move a muscle.

_This is what dying is like_, I thought questionably. I had always expected to feel pain, even after death. Slowly, I began to have movement back, and my vision cleared. I was staring at a tile ceiling, and I lifted my head slowly.

I quickly found that I was in an emergency room of sorts, and I saw Takato, Henry, and Rika, along with both of my parents, sitting in chairs by a window. They were all asleep, and I looked the other way, only to have a heart attack nearly. Sitting there, right by my bed, was Black Wargreymon. He was sleeping as well, but looked just as deadly as he did awake. How he was even here, I didn't know, but I couldn't help myself. I cried out in surprise as, in my attempt to move away from him, I began to fall off the bed.

Black Wargreymon woke immediately and with one swift movement, grabbed my arm and pulled me back up. "You really need to be more careful, kid," he said, sitting back down.

I looked back over and saw that, somehow, the others had slept through my cry. I turned to Black Wargreymon, suddenly filled with anger.

"What are you doing here? It's bad enough you're the reason I'm even here." He glared at me, but without the blood lust.

"I only cut your neck a little. That rock you were going to attack me with is why you're in this place. As for why I'm here, I got dragged along after the two older humans fell asleep by the little ones." I almost burst into laughter, the idea of Takato, Rika, and Henry dragging him into a hospital almost too much to handle. Almost.

I glared at him for a bit longer before lying down again. I shifted the sheets to see how bad I was, and I was surprised. I knew it had been bad, but not so bad that it needed to be wrapped up tightly. It squeezed my gut, the wrapping, and I sighed.

"How long have I been here?"

Black Wargreymon gave me a look as if wondering why I would ask, but shrugged. "Maybe a week. I can't tell. It feels like only a few hours."

The thought of having been in that bed, unconscious for a whole week made me sick to my stomach, which growled rather loudly right then. The dragon-man's stomach followed suit, and that was what got me laughing. It was actually funny. I mean, how often do two people that just tried to kill each other get the same thoughts about hunger at the same time?

It felt good to laugh, but I fell silent quickly, realizing that it was the first real laugh I'd had that wasn't sarcastic in a number of years. _So much is changing so fast,_ I thought. _Maybe those two years of being alone are over now. I guess digimon really can be a cure._

Me: And that is chapter five! Wow, this is one fast story. Then again, an anti-bullying weak at school, as well as listening to the song _Welcome to My Life_ on constant repeat helps as well.

Guilmon: Takatomon, I'm hungry. Can we go now?

Takato: Soon, Guilmon. Has Satoru shaken his depression? Has Black Wargreymon accepted Satoru as his partner? What happened while Satoru was unconscious, and how long was he out? And how will his parents react to a giant black dragon-man? Deva Attacks and a Clue, coming soon!


	6. Chapter 6

Me: Okay, so, some of you may be wondering why I haven't updated for a while. Well, that's because I've been working with other stories. I haven't been inspired to right mre for his as of late, but I got the inspiration! So, here we go!

Takato: I was bored without this being active. Reader only owns his OCs and the side plot. He does not own the tamers season or digimon.

Guilmon: Hi everyone! Send me some bread!

Deva Attacks and a Clue

October 16, 20**

A week had passed since I'd woken up from my coma. Every once in a while, Black Wargreymon would get dragged into my room by the other tamers. I was usually left alone with him, and we would talk for hours. I'd actually grown used to having the brute around, even though he had tried killing me only a couple weeks before.

I'd stayed in the hospital, stuck in bed as the doctors had been concerned about my health, but I still had ways to occupy myself, as Takato would sometimes come with any notes or work from school. He acted as a courier, not just for the teachers, but for the other students as well, bringing get well cards from them. I was surprised when people I didn't even know sent some.

It was one such day that my partner was dragged into the room. Well, more walked in with an escort. I'd been working on an assignment for trigonometry (one of he few classes I enjoyed) when he walked in, Henry the one to close the door.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," I said, the dragon-man scoffing at the joke. "What, does a gatomon have your tongue?"

"Satoru, don't joke around." He had a monotomous tone, but I was still glad, none the less, that he was using my name. He'd taken some time to get used saying to my name.

Black Wargreymon sat on the floor to the left of my bed as he always did, a knee propped in a bent position as he watched me work. I'd tried to teach him a few things once, but he just got confused, and hadn't asked me what I was working on since. I still snickered at the memory.

I finished the work and set it in the stack of everything I'd cmpleted, which was everything. I sighed, having finally caught up on my work that I had, though I was ahead on some of it. But, hey, I had nothing better to do.

"So, how's the outside world doing without me in it," I asked. I could imagine him raising an eyebrow if he had one under the helmet from the way he sent me a questioning look. "I mean, what has been happening outside of this room?"

"There have been some attacks by other digimon, mostly. Nothing you should be concerned about."

"Actually, I should be concerned. This is my home, and I am a tamer." I kept a straight face, unmoving, even as he sent a hard glare at me. I really was concerned, mostly because of my family, even though I usually wouldn't be.

The virus digimon realized quickly that I was more stubborn than a mule at times like this, and sighed in response. "Okay, I'll talk. Ultimate level digimon known as the devas have been targeting the city as of late. We don't know how many there are, but three have been defeated as of yesterday."

I nodded to show that he could continue, but he refused to. A tension fell over the room that I broke quickly. "Did any of them mention a human in specific?" I had a feeling that the answer was no, but I couldn't help but raise my hopes ever so slightly. I was desperate to find Katsu after two years. Black Wargreymon looked at me, and I noticed some surprise in his expression that was only partially hidden by his helmet.

"They actually did. One has been wandering the digital world for a while now. I've, I've actually met him myself. I ignored him, but-"

The last part shattered what calm I still held. He'd seen Katsu, and not once during any of the times we talked did he ever mention it to me. I felt betrayed somewhat, but I tossed the emotion out the window mentally, looking to him.

"That human. He's my brother."

Me: Awkward chapter there for those two. Sorry I haven't updated in so long. Busy with other fics. It's only because I heard the song Shattered by Trading Tuesday that I truly felt this story again. Thanks for sticking with me!

Rika: MM!

Guilmon: Takatomon! I'm hungry...

Takato: Again!? I'll be quick... R&R please.


	7. Chapter 7

Me: I don't have a whole lot of time, so this is probably going to be a quick little chapter! Sorry, everyone!

Takato: At least you're working on this story!

Me: Be quiet, I'm not in the mood for light talk like that. I do not own digimon, only the side plot and my OCs.

Released and Planning

October 29, 20**

I was able to leave after almost another two weeks, the wound inflicted by the stone almost nothing more than a scar. I'd caught up on a lot of school work, and it was a Friday, after school was let out, so I had the whole weekend free.

I didn't go home right away as I'd been expecting, instead heading to the park to where the others most likely were. I'd made good guess, as I could see the other three tamers, along with the four digimon, in the concrete structure. I opened my mouth to say something, but I couldn't say a word before someone else did.

"Badda Boom!" A fire ball flew from among some tree branches, barely missing my head by inches. "Aw, is the poor human, going to cry? So sad." Whoever had spoken made a vomiting sound, followed by laughter. I sighed, grabbing a rock and throwing it into a tree. "Ow! What you do that for?!"

The stranger jumped out of the tree and onto the path in front of me, revealing himself to be a digimon that I recognized by a card I owned. It was a virus type rookie, as I recalled, that was rather mischievous, which was why it was known as Impmon.

"Impmon, how many times have I told you, stay away from here!" Black Wargreymon had obviously heard the imp, and roared in anger, ready to go on a rampage. I was slightly curious as to what had gotten him so angry at Impmon in the first place, but had no idea really, as I hadn't seen my partner since the day he told me Katsu was in the digital world, wandering.

He charged out of the hide out, dramon breakers raised and ready to hack the rookie to bits. He saw me and stopped instantly, which I found funny, though I didn't laugh. He glared at Impmon, who flinched, acting like he was being attacked mentally.

"Get out of here, or I'll turn you into something for Guilmon to eat," he growled, earning a frightened reaction.

"Why is it that everyone goes against me at some point," Impmon huffed, jumping into a tree and disappearing. I shook my head, unable to comprehend the small digimon and his attitude. I looked at Black Wargreymon, and a slight difference caught my attention. His helmet was tipped a little, as if it was too large for his head, and a slight burn was visible on his black cheek, right by the helmet's edge.

"Satoru! You're here!" Takato ran out of the hideout, Guilmon right at his heels. Henry waved to me, Terriermon on his shoulder, flapping an ear in a waving motion. Rika seemed to be ignoring me, turned away, and Renamon was the same way. "So you got released today?"

"Yeah, and I have nothing to do this weekend, since I had nothing better to do than school work. Hey, what's with your helmet, Blackie?"

Black Wargreymon scowled under the tipped helmet, fixing it. It just tipped the other way, though. "Don't call me that. It's bad enough that those two idiots do. And you can thank that pest, Impmon, for this new problem. I can't get my helmet to stay in one place, and it falls off now."

I raised an eyebrow to Takato who chuckled, starting to explain. "Impmon got angry at Black Wargreymon for just being around us as a mega level, and hit him with a fireball. It distorted the metal slightly, so now it won't stay on. It also ended up flying off in the process, apparently. None of us were here except Guilmon, who was asleep when it happened. Your partner really hates having his face show without that helmet on top of it."

"I'm right here," Black Wargreymon hissed, adjusting his helmet again. I couldn't stop myself at that moment, and I laughed. Takato was surprised to hear me laugh, as I'd never laughed once in the time that we knew each other, so it was a new experience for him. I could barely recognize myself.

_I've changed so much since the start of this month. I knew those dark days were behind me, but now I can put them to rest. I might be able to start over now, actually._ The idea had me grinning on the inside, and I adjusted the leather jacket I was wearing.

"Hey, what do you look like without the helmet?" My partner glared at me, but didn't raise a claw as he would have if it had been weeks before.

"Okay, enough of that, guys," Henry said. "Satoru, get in here. We were just discussing plans for Sunday night." It took a moment for me to remember that Halloween would be that weekend, and I was slightly freaked. I'd rarely gone out on that night, and when I did, it never ended well, usually with a few houses egged and a car covered in toilet paper (don't ask about it, too many bad memories).

"I was saying at least try and get a scary place to throw a party, but Takato keeps chickening out," Rika scowled, watching the son of my employer.

"None of us have money to even go somewhere like that," Takato answered, holding out a 'Hoover Flag' as Americans had called it almost a century before. Henry did the same, but Rika apparently had something, as she pulled out a small wad of cash. I was slightly disappointed to see it was nothing but the smallest form of money in paper form.

I shrugged, but an idea came to mind. It was a place I'd gone to with Katsu for Halloween once, with several secret rooms, one of which was full of televisions, each on attached to a camera that viewed some part of the structure.

"Actually, we don't need to pay anything. There's an old temple a couple miles out of town. It's free to stay in, but only if you stay the entire night, since it's supposedly haunted."

"Did I just hear someone say, haunted," a couple of annoying, very familiar, voices asked, their owners entering with a third member, holding a small white digimon.

Kazu grinned, holding up a peace sign with two fingers, Kenta simply pushing up his glasses. Jeri smiled at Takato, making him blush in an embarrassed way, the digimon in her arms laughing and hopping onto my partner's head, making the helmet tip even more, revealing part of his face before he readjusted it. I snickered, having seen some signs of age on the black skin, a shade lower than the rest of my partner's body.

"Yeah, I said haunted. Is there a problem with that?" I raised an eyebrow in questioning, and it had the effect I'd wanted, scaring both of the idiots out of their wits.

"S-Satoru! Run!" They tried to leave, kicking up dust and dirt, but Henry and Rika grabbed them by the necks of their shirts, holding them in place. I smirked at the sight of them struggling, and grabbed each of them by an ear, pulling them back in with ease.

"Please don't hurt us," Kenta pleaded, covering his head.

"If this is about what happened a few months ago, I'm sorry!" Kazu whimpered a little, and I sighed, dropping them both. I knew Kazu was referring to when he accused me of cheating at the digimon card game, having used my card of Black Wargreymon to win every battle I got into. Of course, people overheard that little shout of his, and never played me again. I'd sworn to break his neck for the lie, but I didn't feel like fulfilling that promise at the moment.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. Not today, at least." I turned to Takato, shifting my head so that he could block the entrance of the hideout while we discussed plans. "Anyways, it's a really old temple that's been abandoned for years. A lot of people try to stay a full night but run out screaming like little girls. I managed to stay a whole night there once a few years back with my brother."

"And you think we should throw a party there," Rika said. I nodded, for she had pretty much summed up my proposition. "Fine. It's free if we stay the whole night, so I say it's worth a few fake ghosts."

Guilmon sniffed at Calumon as we all agreed, and I smiled inwardly. "Well, that's settled then. So, who's providing the food and drinks?"

"I could always get some of the bread that we don't sell," Takato responded, catching his partner's attention.

"Bread! Where's the bread?" Guilmon sniffed around, tripping both Kazu and Rika with his tail, earning a bout of laughter from my partner. His helmet tipped off completely in the fit, landing on my head, rather painfully.

I shook my head a little, looking out the eye holes in the metal. It was dark under the protective piece of equipment, so I certainly found it to my liking. I looked at my partner, who snatched at the helm, causing it to fall off and to the ground.

"Great, just my luck," he growled, brushing it off. I was certainly surprised by what he looked like without the metal, but the others certainly seemed calm. His head was like a mix between a dragon and a horse, due to the length and shape of his muzzle-like jaws. His yellow hair acted like a mane, which only made him of a horse in appearance. He still had the dragon features of a scalene ridge above his eye, and the lack of ears, but a couple teeth poked out from his lower jaw, onto his upper lip, like a pit bull.

He replaced the helmet, and I shook my head to stop staring, turning back to the others. Jeri quickly volunteered to bring the drinks, her father owning a small restaurant that made some of the best beverages in West Shinjuku (mainly milk shakes). I shrugged, not really caring, though it would save time.

"So, is that everything," Henry asked.

"Momentai, Henry! It's not like we're going on a three day hike!" I chuckled at Terriermon's comment, restraining any laughter I wanted to let loose.

"Yeah, we just need to get a few things set. Remember, since it's Halloween, wear something scary, or at least entertaining. I'll make a few calls to the current owner of the temple to reserve the place on Sunday."

I really regretted having ever suggested that place a few nights later.

Me: Aw, I have to end this chapter… Sorry, everyone.

Takato: At least you'll have the chapter you've been wanting to write up after this one!

Me: Yeah, you're right. Oh, hope you don't mind, you're being dressed as something cheesy.

Guilmon: Is Takatomon being dressed as grilled cheese? I like it. It's toasted bread!

Me: Sorry, no. If he was, you and Calumon would eat his costume. Next time! A Halloween party! I'd call it a special, but it's late for Halloween, but, anyways! Black Wargreymon gets a visit from an old 'friend'. Prepare for both the scare of your lives, as well as the funniest Halloween in existence! Stay tuned for Pranks and (Fake) Blood!


	8. Chapter 8

Me: Yay! I'm doing my Halloween chapter! I hope you all like it!

Takato: I feel so stupid in this costume. I should have known this is what you meant by cheesy…

Guilmon: That's not cheese. Please send some cheese, everyone! I want cheese for my bread!

Me: Just, send the cheese in the reviews. I do not own digimon, only my OC.

Pranks and (Fake) Blood

October 31, 20**

I waited outside the abandoned temple in a long blue trench coat, glad it was still warm. Black Wargreymon was inside, wearing a costume I'd thrown together that actually worked well with him. Impmon had decided to tag along, having caught word of the party from someone, most likely Renamon. Jeri had also arrived, dressed as Bloody Mary, and was finishing the setup of the main room. Calumon was hiding inside, waiting in the costume I'd given him for a little idea I'd thought of.

"Guilmon, slow down!" Takato flew off of his partner's back, crashing head first into a bush. The red dinosaur was wearing toy bat wings, fake blood stained on his neck where a few bite marks, obviously made with makeup, were placed. The brunette boy pulled his head out of the bush, and I sighed at his poor excuse for a costume. He was dressed up as Dracula, just like the last couple of years, with the same pale skin and awful wig that he readjusted on his head.

"Sorry, Takato."

"It's okay, Guilmon, I'm not hurt." He turned to me, raising an eyebrow in confusion at my costume. I pulled down the front of the trench coat's massive collar that surrounded my entire face, minus my eyes, and smirked evilly, fixing the tall hat on my head.

"Will you two stop fighting and move it?!" Rika came around the bend next, dressed as a skeleton, which worked well, being she was so skinny. Renamon was behind her, wearing a black coat and pointed hat, the fur on her paws and face dyed green.

Behind them was a two person horse costume, which opened up to reveal Kazu and Kenta, arguing about something that always happened in such a costume. I toned them out instantly, watching for Henry and Terriermon.

"Hey, what's with the coat, mister suicidal?"

I glared at Rika for a few moments, but those moments were disrupted by a massive cloud of smoke that billowed from a spot on the ground. Henry stepped out, couching, holding a top hat at his side, wearing a tux and cloak.

Terriermon jumped out of the hat, a couple of pink bows on his head. "Why did you have to stuff me in that thing!? And why couldn't you take these things off before we left!" He pulled at the bows, which stayed put, most likely caught in his short fur or glued on.

"It was part of my costume, Terriermon. And at least it's better than having you be stuck in a dress and carried around by Suzie as she was out with dad." The rabbit digimon shivered at the thought, and both of them, along with everyone else, looked to me in confusion.

I coughed, preparing to speak in a voice I'd practiced over the previous day. "Why are you all looking at me like that? I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Satoru, just take off that coat," Rika scowled.

"Fine, but don't be shocked at what I look like." I laughed, throwing off the hat and coat, holding up a machine gun prop that would be used in movies. "So, what do you all think of my Mummymon impersonation? Spooky, right?"

"That's awesome!" Kazu and Kenta ran over, inspecting the costume.

"Hand made by myself as well," I told them in my normal voice. "It's actually really easy to make if you have a picture of him somewhere." I grinned like the digimon from the show, laughing like a maniac. "Well, come on! Everything should be set up!" Takato grabbed a bag of bread from under his cloak as we all walked in.

Jeri had done a nice job, setting up a few tables for the food and drinks, lighting a massive bonfire in the pit at the center of the room. She sat a little bit away from Impmon, who was wearing a cowboy hat and a belt with a toy pistol in it. I knew he'd stolen them, but was surprised he hadn't been caught.

Black Wargreymon stepped in front of us, a large, black bladed sword and a skull decorated shield in each hand. He nodded to me, keeping silent for a part of his costume as a black knight. He glared at the two person horse, holding the sword to it as Kazu spoke from inside.

"Nice costume, Blackie!" The idiot shut up instantly when the realistic weapon was near his face in the horse's head.

"Never, call me that again, you shrimp. Or I might just get a craving for the flesh of a bastard like you and tear you to shreds." I snickered at the threat, knowing it would be carried out most likely, and Kazu would be too stupid to understand the reality of it.

"Whatever you say, Blackie." Black Wargreymon roared in anger, slashing the head off of the costume. Kazu gulped in fright, heading away quickly. I chuckled, patting my partner's arm.

"Okay, just calm down for now. You can kill him after I break his neck one of these days. Tonight is about the party." He growled, but reluctantly calmed down, fixing his warped helmet again.

A few hours passed, with a few ghost stories, lots of cruel jokes, and the occasional person running outside to get sick. Midnight arrived, the time I'd been waiting for, and I nodded to Black Wargreymon. He whipped around, producing a massive wind that put out the fire. Everyone began to freak out, running blindly in the dark.

I grabbed a person that ran by me, dragging them through a secret door in the wall. I had found the room before, wanting to watch my plan unfold while everyone thought that I, along with someone else, had died and been dragged away.

The room lit up as I pressed a switch on the wall, the many televisions showing various areas of the temple. The person I'd grabbed punched me in the shoulder, and I knew instantly who it was.

"Before you do anything else, Rika, just watch what's on the screens," I whispered, placing a hand over her mouth as she attempted to yell at me.

A screen in the center showed the newly lit main room, the fire blazing. Everyone, minus Black Wargreymon and Calumon, both missing, was staring at a large pool of fake blood that my partner had planted. I chuckled, remembering how he'd been so curious about the liquid that he dipped his face in it, on accident of course.

Henry started to try and calm them all down, minus the digimon, who were assisting in the process of calming Impmon. Kenta had apparently been prepared for such an event in which they had to traverse the unlit regions of the temple, and began to pull flashlights from a bag he wore inside the horse costume. They all split up into several groups, heading into the dark areas.

I caught a glimpse of Calumon in one of the screens, hiding behind a statue. Rika was obviously surprised that he was even there, but didn't seem bothered that he had a toy knife covered in fake blood and a hockey mask, splattered with the red dye. It was rather funny, since he would look like a floating mask with a knife.

Jeri and Renamon happened to be the ones to pass by him, and I had to cover both Rika's mouth and my own as we began to snicker, Calumon moving from his hiding spot. He tapped Jeri on the shoulder, and he laughed like a deranged maniac, the sound echoing through the entire structure.

Jeri fainted on the spot, her eyes rolling back into her head, and Renamon jumped, screeching like a cat as she clung to the ceiling, a little bit from the camera, her fur standing on end.

"She can do that?" I gave Rika a questioning look as she stared at her puffed up partner, and I couldn't help but laugh a little.

Calumon ended up moving to another hiding spot, closer to where Black Wargreymon had planned to hide. Kazu, Kenta, and Impmon arrived in the same screen. The room happened to be an old chamber for residents to sleep in, where a small cache was present under the bed. The bed flew a few feet in the air, crashing into a wall. Kazu jumped into Kenta's arms, screaming, Impmon wobbling as his legs grew weak.

The virus mega roared, climbing out of the cache in the floor, eyes rolled back into his head as he crawled out lazily, stabbing the floor. Kenta joined Kazu in the scream, as did the rookie level, and they took off running, ready to wet themselves. Black Wargreymon laughed a little, replacing the bed before he left the room, heading the opposite direction.

The next screen with the three screaming party goers was the same one with Calumon. He jumped out of hiding, laughing again as he swung the toy knife in every direction. Impmon jumped onto Kazu's face, and both the boys passed out, the costume falling to their ankles, showing dark spots in their shorts.

Rika had to grab something to scream into, muffling the sound as she laughed into a breathless state. I just had to pinch myself to keep from laughing with the same intensity. I saw Black Wargreymon adjusting a rope around his neck, pretending to hang himself as he went limp, using his ability of flight to stay off the ground and not actually hang.

Takato happened to be the poor soul that was alone, his partner with Henry and Terriermon. He shined a light in front of him, and screamed at the sight of Black Wargreymon. My partner shifted, staring at the boy and roaring, attempting to slash at him. Takato screamed some more, running in the opposite direction blindly as he dropped his flashlight.

The virus chuckled, cutting the rope off and grabbed the light source, clicking it off. Seconds later, a panel in the wall shifted and he entered the room Rika and I were in, obviously proud of his work.

"I've never had so much fun in my life," he snickered, sitting next to me and Rika, staring at the screens.

Henry, Terriermon, and Guilmon raced into one of the screens, screaming. Calumon was chasing them, laughing harder than ever. He threw the knife ahead of him, and it poked the dinosaur digimon in the back, scaring him out of his wits. He ran faster, tripping the other two onto his back, and didn't stop running until he was in the main room. Takato ran in as well, straight into them, forming a dog pile that was only added to.

Jeri and Renamon ran in, followed closely by the remaining three, all of them screaming before they hit the pile. A bit of fog began to creep across every camera, and my smile that I wore faded quickly. The same kind of fog had taken my brother, and had also brought my partner.

"Satoru, let's go," Rika said, serious again. She grabbed her digivice, as did I, and we moved over to the door that connected us to the main room. A cackle rang through the temple, probably affecting the surrounding forest as well, and Black Wargreymon growled, his pupils narrowing drastically till they were almost nonexistent.

"I thought I killed him," he growled, ramming straight through the door. The party goers screamed at the sight of him, but Rika quickly calmed them down, as did I, just by showing ourselves. My partner sniffed the air and took off running in seconds. I followed quickly as Rika tried to untangle the others for more help.

The cackle sounded again, and the fog grew thicker as I followed the mega. He turned a few times, and I lost him once but found him soon after. We raced outside, into the courtyard in the center of the temple. An air pocket had formed in the fog, and a strange, almost human, digimon stood in the center of it, cackling.

It had long, metallic claws for hands, and its face was completely covered by an opera mask. Spiked orange hair stood up from behind the mask, and a colorful outfit with thick legs covered the body. I checked the data on my digivice as a screen popped up with an image of it.

"Matadormon, a virus ultimate. His speed is almost unmatched, only surpassed by several mega levels. His strength is enough to take out even the hardest, thickest armors. His attack, Matador Dance, has him multiply and surround the target, slashing the enemy to pieces. This is not good."

"Well, if it isn't Black Wargreymon," the ultimate laughed, twisting his body like a puppet. My back hurt just watching him. "Long time, no see!"

"Don't act like we're friends," my partner hissed, raising a claw. "I don't trust your kind, more than I trust others."

"Is that so? Well, I'm here, so I guess you do need to trust others, since even you could not kill me!" He cackled again, angering my partner. He charged, lashing out, only to miss and have the shield on his back torn off in one swipe. "Remember, I have the strength of a mega as an ultimate! I could even challenge the sovereigns if I were to go to the mega level!"

Black Wargreymon roared, continually striking with his clawed gauntlets. Matadormon did some aerobics, jumping back several times, doing a back hand spring and a few flips to dodge every attempt.

The ultimate in turn struck at the right moments, removing several pieces of armor with ease. Within a couple minutes, all the remained on my partner was the armored loin cloth, his right gauntlet, and his helmet. The helmet was off in seconds though, leaving him exposed immensely to an onslaught.

"Black Tornado!" He spun around, but Matadormon just laughed, jumping right in and forcing the mega out. Black Wargreymon crashed into the ground a little bit away from me, skidding on his back.

"Hey, are you alright?" I didn't get much of a chance to move, as Matadormon was out of the twister and in front of me in seconds.

"Oh, another human! I don't see very many of your kind!" He flickered away, and multiple copies of him surrounded Black Wargreymon and myself. "I'll have some fun with this now! Matador Dance!"

A copy lashed out, scratching my hip as it passed. Another left a gash in my partner's gut as he tried to stand. The mega growled, striking down one copy that attempted another hit with his gauntlet, only to have another one remove the armor, slashing his arm and my back in the process.

I ducked as a metal claw went towards my throat, stabbing a clone behind me instead. I held onto the digivice, and the card slot on the side gave me an idea. I was glad I'd brought my cards, and pulled one out, smiling at the choice.

"Digimodify!" I slashed the card through, electricity running over the card and my hands. "Tapirmon's Nightmare Breath activate!"

Black Wargreymon stood up the rest of the way, weak from the wound on his abdomen. He inhaled, his eyes going pure white. "Nightmare Breath!" A cloud of black smoke caught a hold of the six remaining copies, and they started to slash one another. In less than a minute, only the original remained, obviously angered.

"You may have stopped that, but you won't stop this! Devil Cape!" A red cape appeared in his hand, and he moved it, a blast of pure fire headed right at me. I didn't move, though, and held up the digivice, hoping what I was attempting worked.

The black ringed machine flashed, and the attack was sent right back, burning the cape and Matadormon. He screeched, dancing around as he beat at the flames. I nodded to my partner, and he charged, roaring with a fist raised.

"This is not good," Matadormon muttered, the mega upon him.

"Sayonara, you clown!" Black Wargreymon brought the fist into Matadormon's thin chest, going straight through. The ultimate turned to red bits of data, entering my partner as he stood straight again.

He grabbed the various pieces of armor that had been thrown off, replacing them as he went. In less than a minute he was completely covered in the dark armor once more, but he still was in pain from the wounds on his abdomen and arm. The gashes I had were also searing in pain, but luckily wouldn't be fatal.

"You okay, kid? Matadormon isn't a laughing matter." I chuckled due to the statement being so ironic, really.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Not much damage done. I'll live." My partner nodded, but was obviously disturbed by the ultimate's arrival. "How did you know him?"

Black Wargreymon sighed a little, looking away as though remembering something. "He was a bounty hunter. Someone had paid him to go after an old friend of mine, and I failed to protect that friend. She was killed and absorbed right before my eyes, and I went crazy. I thought I'd killed him, since he wasn't there after I blew up the area, but apparently he got away. I still wonder what he did with my friend's data. It's possible to purge it from one's body, but I doubt he went through with that process." He looked me in the eye, and I could actually see a few memories flickering in the yellow irises. He blinked and the memories were gone like a light.

"We'll have to find out at some point. After all, I need to go to the digital world to get Katsu. If this friend of yours was purged, we might see her. Now, come on. We had better go get the others untangled!"

Me: Heh, how did you all like the little back story for our mega level friend? There will be more revealed about his mysterious past soon, so hold tight!

Takato: Black Wargreymon was friends with a girl? That's hard to imagine. He almost killed Satoru the moment they met, after all!

Me: Shut up, little baker.

Rika: Looks like you started to insult people.

Me: Get out of here, Rika! You don't do the disclaimer anymore!

Guilmon: R&R! And please send me food! I'll let Reader update if you do!


	9. Chapter 9

Me: Yes! I'm finally back to Coping and Fighting! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, as we may get some more of Black Wargreymon's backstory revealed! And prepare yourselves, as this chapter will also have a deva in it. One that allowed the tamers to meet a new friend.

Takato: That's a pretty big spoiler.

Me: I don't care.

Guilmon: Reader doesn't own digimon, only Satoru and the side plot!

Another Strange Day

November 1, 20**

I sighed as I left the school, several books in my bag for more work I'd been assigned on my first day back. I didn't see Takato or Henry, so I assumed they had already left earlier that day, or were staying after for some reason. I managed to catch sight of Jeri as she headed the way I always walked, most likely heading towards the bakery.

I picked up speed, catching up with her in a matter of moments. "Satoru, you come this way?"

"Yeah, I live down the street from Takato and help at the bakery. I guess you're going there right now? I never see you come this way, really."

"I usually get some bread for my family, though I'm heading to the park later. Takato left early with Henry for some reason."

"I had my suspicions about where they went." I chuckled inwardly, a shadow passing by overhead. I looked up and saw Black Wargreymon watching me from the roof of one of the larger buildings, and I was curious as to why he had left the hideout.

He looked away towards the western sky, taking off in that direction. "Satoru? Is something the matter?"

"Oh, uh, it's nothing. I thought I saw something. It was just a bird." I fell silent, thinking of my partner and what I'd learned about his past the previous night. Jeri didn't say any more to me, simply walking at my side.

It was a good ten minutes later that we arrived at the bakery, and I waited outside for Jeri as she went to purchase any goods. Calumon floated out of nowhere, laughing in his usual childish voice as he landed on my head. A small chuckle escaped my throat as he clung to me, looking in the window. Jeri came out right then, a small bag of bread in her hands.

"I'm all set. We should get to the park. Your partner is probably worried sick about you." I stayed silent, frowning at the comment before letting her lead the way, the small digimon flying onto her shoulder.

Traffic was faster than usual, so it took about five minutes to cross the street safely. I didn't think anything of the unusual speed, minding my own business as I entered the park. Kenta jumped out of a bush, grabbing Jeri, a finger to his lips as he dragged her into the bushes. Kazu did the same to me, but I growled at him when he touched me.

"Kenta, you're squeezing my cream puffs," Jeri complained, and I almost burst into laughter at the statement, seeing as it would seem strange had she not been holding the bread bag still.

"Quiet down," Kazu muttered. "They're having some weird tamer only meeting. Probably think the rest of us aren't worthy to know."

I coughed, holding up my digivice to the idiot's face. "I happen to be a tamer. And we do not see ourselves as high and mighty. Now say that again, and I'll crack your neck. After all, Black Wargreymon will be able to kill you after I do that."

"Speaking of him, where is he?" Kenta had spoken, and both Jeri and Kazu looked to see he was gone. I wasn't very surprised, although I'd been hoping he would've been back by the time I arrived. "Oh great, they're all gone!"

"You should have just gone up there," I said plainly, standing. I began to walk away, but my digivice went off at that moment, surprising me. "Just great. Now I have to find Black Wargreymon and a rogue digimon. Just my luck." I took off running, Jeri at my heels with Calumon, who had managed to steal some of the bread. The idiots scrambled around a bit before following us.

The compass showed itself, pointing straight ahead. A shadow flew overhead, and I managed to see Black Wargreymon before the trees hid him again. Fog began to explode from drainage systems all over the place, but I followed the arrow. It shifted so it was pointing towards the fountains, and fog blew a man hole cover into the air. A rat digimon rushed out of the hole, laughing as it charged the four of us. Seeing as Calumon was the only digimon right there at the moment, Jeri freaked out, holding the digimon in front of her.

"Do something, Calumon!" The cream puff loving digimon was obviously fightened and flew out of her hands, crying out. "Don't run away!" Jeri ran after him, and the rat laughed again, chasing the both of them in a massive circle. I sighed at the poor game and looked for something to use. A loose branch caught my attention, and I tore it down, holding it in both hands.

"You two had better stay here." Kazu and Kenta, who were hanging onto one another, nodded rapidly as I ran out, swatting the rat away.

"Nyeh! Who dares attack a deva?"

"Really? You're one of those devas I was told about? You're pretty small." The rat deva growled, jumping at me. I sighed, swatting it away with ease. It squeaked, rolling into the fountain. "That should deal with the pipsqueak."

A cry of surprise sounded as the fountain began to geyser as it often did, the deva flying into the air. The sunlight was magnified by the water, and I was blinded for a few moments, but I blinked away the spots. To say what I saw was a shock would have been an understatement.

A familiar lion digimon jumped down from above the geysers, landing between the crash landing deva and myself. Jeri, who had finally come back with Calumon, was in awe at the new digimon, while the idiots were drooling, though I didn't blame them. Anyone in their right mind who wanted a partner would be in a similar state at the sight of Leomon.

"Why would a digimon attack children?" Leomon crossed his arms, tilting his head as the deva stood up. "It isn't like they can harm us."

"Did you just say what I think you said," I growled, raising the branch. Leomon looked at me without concern, actually disappointed somewhat.

"Yes, I did." The deva took the chance to run off right then, and I snapped, much like the branch did that moment. I found it ironic that I had just whacked the lion, seeing as he was now holding his head in pain. "What is wrong with you!?"

"I had that deva on my own! I just kicked his ass!"

Jeri was still staring at Leomon, and I noticed that she was starting to enter the same state as Kazu and Kenta. _Oh boy, this is going to be crazy._

About a half hour passed, and I was in the hideout, watching as Jeri chased Leomon like a psychopath, determined to make him her partner. Kazu and Kenta weren't in the chase because I had managed to tie them together and stashed them in Guilmon's hole. Takato had arrived about five minutes before, rather surprised by the sight.

"Well, Rika and Henry are on their way," the smaller boy groaned, pocketing his phone.

"Why am I not surprised? I'd better stop this mayhem before anyone gets hurt or worse." A scream sounded and Jeri came running out of the woods, tackling Takato. A cackle caught my attention, though, and I scowled, racing in the direction of the voice. "Black Wargreymon, where are you when a deva is attacking?"

I raced into the main pathway of the park and saw the deva facing Leomon, who had drawn his sword. They circled one another, and the deva struck first. "Deva Clone!" Multiple copies of the rat took form around Leomon, and I was reminded of Matadormon's deadly Matador Dance. The cuts I had covered hurt at the sight of the clones as the lunged, Leomon blocking them with his sword.

"Terra Destroyer!" A smaller version of the blazing orb slammed into a copy, destroying it and two others. Black Wargreymon landed behind Leomon, eyes narrowed. "How about we destroy this pest problem quickly?"

"Fine by me." Leomon slashed another clone, Black Wargreymon shredding the fifth. Only the original remained, hissing.

"Nyeh! No one defeats Mahuramon!"

The rat charged me, and I didn't budge an inch. Out the corner of my eye, I saw the others watching, and I waited for the right moment. Mahuramon was right in front of me, and I kicked his fat head, sending him into the air like a soccer ball.

"He's all yours, boys." Black Wargreymon nodded and grabbed Leomon's arm, spinning around and throwing the lion into the air.

Orange light surrounded the champion level as he grew closer to the deva, and he held a balled up fist to the rat's ball-like body.

"Fist of the Beast King!" A small explosion with the shape of a lion's head crashed into Mahuramon, and he was deleted soundlessly, his data flying away. "That was far too easy. Was that really an ultimate level?"

"Yes, it was," my partner confirmed, his helmet beginning to fall off once more.

"And I kicked his ass, if I say so myself. I did use him like a soccer ball." The mega level snorted a little, and I watched silently as Leomon disappeared into the woods, much like Black Wargreymon had.

Me: Wait, so, Black Wargreymon is buddies with Leomon already? Is that because they are so much alike, or do they have a connection beyond that?

Henry: Who knows. It could be possible, but we don't know much about either one, so it's hard to say.


End file.
